In communication systems, such as mobile communications networks, the allocation of telephone numbers to subscribers needs to be carefully managed.
In GMS networks, for instance, network operators issue SIM cards for use in mobile communication devices, such as mobile telephones, with each SIM card containing a unique international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI). Until fairly recently, network operators pre-provisioned in their networks a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN), similar to a telephone number, for each IMSI on each SIM card issued. The situation is similar in many non-GSM communication networks.
One problem with pre-provisioning, however, is that issued SIM cards which have yet to be sold or given to customers already have an allocated MSISDN. Since network operators typically have a shortage of MSISDNs they may allocate to subscribers, pre-provisioning creates a number of difficulties with inventory management, as well as requiring databases, storage, and other computing equipment for storing and managing the pre-provisioned associations of MSISDNs with IMSIs.
Recently, over-the-air provisioning techniques have been developed. Over-the-air provisioning systems only associate an MSISDN to an IMSI the first time a communication device having a SIM card containing an IMSI connects to a communication network. Such techniques greatly facilitate the management and allocation of MSISDNs for network operators and alleviate many of the problems of pre-provisioning.
However, current over-the-air provisioning techniques are not suitable for use with all kinds of communication networks.